Older people, medication usage and long-term care pharmacists: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the impact of the presence of a pharmacist on medication usage in long-term care facilities.

Methods: The study followed a retrospective cohort design, with a sample of patients aged ≥65 years admitted to three long-term care facilities over 30 months. Data on age, gender, type of stay, the presence or absence of a pharmacist and pharmacotherapeutic profile at admission and discharge were obtained for study patients.